Good morning, it’s Thursday, April 10, 2025. In today’s edition, red states seek Medicaid work requirements; Nebraska advances age-appropriate design bill; California Dems target ex-VP Harris:
Top Stories
HEALTH CARE: Red states are introducing Medicaid work requirements in hopes that the Trump administration approves a top conservative policy goal. Lawmakers in Arkansas, Arizona and Ohio have submitted requests for approval, while lawmakers in six more states — Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana and South Dakota — have passed legislation laying the groundwork for work requirement requests. (Pluribus News)
MORE: Kansas lawmakers approved legislation allowing those with rare, life-threatening conditions to access investigational treatments and experimental drugs. Gov. Laura Kelly (D) allowed the bill to become law without her signature. (Kansas Reflector)
EVEN MORE: The Indiana House has approved legislation banning noncompete clauses in employment contracts for doctors. The bill builds on legislation passed in 2023 that banned noncompetes for primary care physicians. The Senate must give final approval before it heads to Gov. Mike Braun (R). (Indianapolis Star)
ABORTION: The Florida House has approved legislation allowing wrongful death lawsuits to be filed for fetuses. The bill would apply to fetuses at all stages of development; it would not allow the fetus’s mother or physicians giving “lawful medical care” to be subject to those lawsuits. (Florida Politics)
SOCIAL MEDIA: Nebraska lawmakers are advancing an Age Appropriate Online Design Code bill, requiring online services to explicitly protect minors and their personal information. The bill would prohibit advertising targeted specifically toward minor users. (Nebraska Examiner)
MORE: The Illinois House and Senate are debating bills to require cell phone makers to collect a user’s birthdate when they first register, in an attempt to block adult content from minors. Groups like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU oppose the measures over privacy concerns. (MyStateline)
AID IN DYING: The Delaware Senate is set to take a final vote on legislation legalizing medical aid in dying for those with less than six months to live. The bill would allow terminally ill adults to self-administer medication to end their lives after two verbal and one written request. (Delaware Public Media)
Then-Gov. John Carney (D) vetoed a similar bill last year. Gov. Matt Meyer (D) has said he would sign it.
IMMIGRATION: The North Dakota Senate has approved legislation penalizing local governments if they act as sanctuary jurisdictions. The bill would require entities to report a person’s citizenship status to federal authorities and to cooperate with immigration officers. (Fargo Forum) The Tennessee Senate has given final approval to legislation invalidating out-of-state driver licenses issued to motorists who are in the country illegally. (State Affairs)
MORE: The Connecticut House Judiciary Committee has approved legislation barring law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The bill would also threaten subsidies for companies that assist in deporting residents, including Avelo Airlines, which uses New Haven’s airport as a hub. (New Haven Register)
In Politics & Business
NEW YORK: Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) holds a wide lead over her two potential challengers in the 2026 Democratic primary, according to a new poll. The Data for Progress survey finds Hochul leading with 51%, followed by U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D) and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado (D), both at 11%. (Data for Progress)
CALIFORNIA: Democrats running for governor are starting to take shots at former Vice President Kamala Harris, who has yet to declare whether she is running. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D), former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D) and former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra have all criticized politicians who stay on the sidelines — a not-so-veiled shot at Harris. (Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R) said he will launch an initiative campaign to qualify a voter identification requirement for the 2026 ballot. A bill to require voter IDs failed in committee on Wednesday. (Los Angeles Times)
WASHINGTON: Members of the Washington State Federation of State Employees picketed in the state Capitol building in Olympia Wednesday as they grow frustrated with contract negotiations. Union members are seeking a 5% wage hike; Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) has proposed 24 unpaid furlough days to help close the state budget deficit. (Seattle Times)
By The Numbers
374%: The increase in contributions to gubernatorial candidates participating in New Jersey’s public financing program, compared with the last time the state held a governor’s election in 2021. The eight candidates participating in the program have submitted more than 38,000 contributions for review, up from 7,900 four years ago. (New Jersey Monitor)
78 cents: The cost of a first-class postage stamp, under a new proposal from the U.S. Postal Service. The five-cent increase must be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission to take effect July 13. (Associated Press)
Off The Wall
Iowa lawmakers are debating legislation to exempt the sale of honeybees from state sales tax. Commercial beekeepers lost an average of 62% of their colonies in the last six months, according to a survey by a bee industry group. Lawmakers let loose with the puns: Rep. Lindsay James (D) said she’d heard “lots of buzz” about the bill. Rep. Mike Vondran (R) called his bill “bee-utiful.” (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
We are staunchly in favor of bad puns in legislative debates.
The Colorado State Patrol is on the lookout for 600 lbs. of marijuana stolen from an evidence trailer last week. Thieves used a power tool to remove a lock on the evidence facility’s gate to aid their heist. There are no suspects yet. (Denver Post)
Quote of the Day
“They’re driving blind. They are not looking at the road. They are six times more dangerous than a drunken driver. That has to stop.”
— South Carolina Rep. Bill Taylor (R), on his legislation to require hands-free cellphone use while driving. Taylor has been running the bill for eight years; it won approval in the state House this week. (Associated Press)